I'll Be Home for Christmas
by AnakinCaffrey
Summary: Neal was able to get time off for Christmas, but not before Peter discovers he can't say the same for himself, so Neal has to improvise to make their Christmas merry nonetheless.


**A/N: I apologize for posting this a day late, but I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!**

Midnight was Neal Caffrey's favorite time of the night. Why? Because it meant the night was over. Unfortunately, it also meant his boyfriend was more than likely already asleep in their bed at home. He'd tried to get some time off for Christmas this year because his two jobs would have kept him busy for a large portion of Christmas Eve as well as Christmas Day otherwise.

As soon as he'd gotten home, he was actually surprised to see his lover asleep on the couch in their living room. That wasn't like him and Neal hoped he hadn't done something wrong, especially since he had a surprise of his own for the other man. He'd come into their home quickly and shut the door just as fast so as not to let too much of the drifting snow inside. The second everything was quiet, he considered approaching his lover to wake him and take him to bed, but he figured he needed a few moments to warm up.

The last thing his boyfriend wanted was for him to come home and give him an icy kiss or press his bare, icy body against his warm body. It'd happened before, but he'd never complained. Nonetheless, Neal wanted to make tonight good for the other man in more ways than one. So he went about removing his winter coat, his boots, and his hat. He wandered over towards the small fire they had in their chimney and knelt in front of it for a few moments to warm himself up a little. When he stared at the flames, he couldn't help smiling a little to himself. The flames licked at each other as they moved around and Neal compared it to his relationship with his boyfriend, especially the licking part.

He hadn't heard his boyfriend wake up quietly nor was he aware that his boyfriend had gotten off of the couch sleepily and was standing behind him, watching him hold his hands out towards the fire. Of course he startled when he heard someone drop down to their knees behind him and slid their arms around him, but those arms were so familiar to him by this point and the lips that were subsequently pressed against his neck were as well. "Welcome home," his lover whispered near his ear a moment later. "I missed you."

Neal's two jobs were really hurting their relationship at times. The other man was home often and tended to eat dinner by himself unless Neal could somehow manage to take the night off from his second job, which did happen occasionally when Neal was injured by accident. His day job was at the Met because of his affinity for art and the fact that he'd gotten his bachelor and master's degrees in art. That was a job he thoroughly enjoyed, especially when he had a tour of youngsters to lead around and give information to. Being the sociable man he is, it was the perfect job for him and it was how he'd met his boyfriend.

His _second_ job was a job his boyfriend didn't necessarily approve of, but he never complained to Neal about it. It brought in some decent money and it seemed to make Neal happy, so the other man didn't want to tell Neal how to live his life. Neal's second job had him employed as a 'male entertainer' at a strip club in the darker part of the city. By dark, there were some shady characters and things happening in that section of the city. Neal never worried about it like his boyfriend does, claiming that the security and bouncers they have at the club kept him and the other entertainers safe.

"I missed you, too," Neal whispered as he twisted just enough to kiss his lover's lips. This had to be one of the longest kisses they've had in quite some time given how often Neal _isn't_ around. Honestly, Neal missed this intimacy as well. "I was surprised to see you on the couch when I got home," he said after they parted. "Is everything okay?"

The other man nodded. "I read about a murder in the slums…" Neal understood why his lover slept on the couch then. "I know you wouldn't appreciate me coming down there while you're working, but I wanted to be near the door to make sure you got home safely—or that I could run out the door quickly if you were in trouble."

Neal smiled at the other man lovingly. "What did I do to deserve you, Peter?" The man holding him was his lover of nearly three years, Peter Burke. He also happened to be a police officer, which was something Neal hadn't known when they first met since Peter had been undercover at the Met at the time. Once that particular case was closed and their criminal was arrested, Peter had been honest with Neal about everything. The last thing he'd wanted then was to lose the man he was becoming interested in simply because he'd hidden his real job from the other man. "You are so good to me…"

Peter kissed his cheek. "You were born. That's all the prerequisite you needed to deserve me." Neal chuckled in response even though he knew how sincere the other man was. "I love you, Neal. I just… I don't want anything to happen to you. You're everything to me."

Turning around so that they were face to face and chest to chest, Neal draped his arms over the other man's shoulders and clasped his hands behind Peter. "And you're everything to me," he insisted. "You've been everything to me since you smiled at me the day we met." He pecked Peter's lips gently before smiling endearingly once more. "I truly appreciate everything you do for me, Peter. I hope you know that." Of course Peter knew that. He knew every single day just how much Neal appreciates him and loves him. If he and Neal didn't have the chance to speak since Neal's two jobs were very time consuming, Neal always made sure he left a love note for the other man to wake up to. He always wrote something incredibly sweet, whether it was something he absolutely loves about Peter, a simple 'I love you,' or his hoping that Peter has a good day. The fact that he took the time to write those things out to him to ensure Peter knew he wasn't purposely avoiding him and actually missed him meant a great deal to Peter.

"I know, honey," Peter assured him. He rubbed Neal's lower back gently, but he could feel the knot there nonetheless. Brows furrowed, Peter stared into Neal's eyes and asked, "Did you get hurt at work again?" Neal bit his lip, but he nodded silently. He never lied to Peter even if he hoped Peter wouldn't notice things like this. "What happened?"

Neal sighed and shook his head. "I was giving one of the guys a lap dance and he kind of pulled me in a very awkward manner. It didn't help that he let go of me and shoved me abruptly in the middle of it." Peter looked concerned. "I'm okay though. And I swear to you that no one slapped my ass tonight."

That was one of the things Peter hated about Neal's job. He knew other men would touch him intimately, but Neal was a stripper. It never went beyond stripping and entertaining men while some scant clothing was still being worn—or at least Peter _hoped_ it never went beyond that. "You know I'll check anyway," Peter said lovingly. Neal grinned. That meant Peter wasn't upset with him—because they couldn't have sex when Peter was upset with him. He knew he did some questionable things that made Peter doubt him at times and there were times when he couldn't exactly reply to an email or text message from Peter in a timely manner, so he knew Peter wondered endlessly about all of the things Neal could be doing to cheat on him. .. Neal was used to that and he didn't blame Peter for feeling the way he does. He's a very sensitive man, so he didn't enjoy sex if he weren't happy.

Neal could appreciate that. His last relationship had been quite the opposite. Peter knew about that since Neal had been upfront and honest about prior relationships he had. Even if he made Peter unhappy at times, it was good to know that Peter wouldn't hurt him or punish him for trivial things. He had some scars on his arms and torso from two of his previous relationships with men who he now considered abusers. Peter knew everything about his past love life because Neal had nothing to hide. He wanted Peter to be aware of things he'd been through and things he didn't want in a relationship.

Fortunately for him, Peter was a good police officer and that made him a good and respectful lover as well. He slid his left hand up and down Neal's back as he began to kiss Neal sweetly. Peter usually started off like this—with kisses and gentle touches or caresses. It was something Neal wholeheartedly appreciated. Peter is a unique man and he's incredibly sensitive.

Within a matter of minutes, the two men were kissing their way towards their bedroom while simultaneously stripping each other. As soon as Neal's back hit their mattress, he let out a quiet gasp. Peter toppled over on top of him and proceeded to nibble on his jaw. "Oh, God…" Neal moaned as Peter's hands gripped his hips. Peter's grip was firm, but gentle nonetheless.

"I'm going to love the hell out of you," Peter whispered fiercely against his skin.

And he did. He went about their routine and prepared Neal's body for him while simultaneously showing him the affection he deserves, then he began to make love to his boyfriend. Neal's arms were around Peter's neck, his legs were bent and pressed against Peter's hips, and he couldn't help moaning. Pretty much any and all thoughts he could have during sex were incoherent and unintelligible. He liked being able to multitask, but damn did Peter make it difficult when they were having sex. Peter may not realize it, but Neal finds him very, very attractive—and distractive.

Once they were finished, they lay tangled up in each other's limbs. Both men were breathing heavily and smiling at each other. "It can't get much better than this," Neal sighed contentedly. He kissed Peter's cheek then just to reinforce what he'd said.

Peter chuckled and nuzzled his face against Neal's. "Well, I never know when I'm going to have you all to myself again, so I try to make the most of every moment we have together." Neal loved him for that. He loved that Peter wanted to make him fully aware of the fact that he misses him when they aren't together. "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that you're happy with your two jobs. I just miss the hell out of you."

"I miss you, too," Neal admitted. "I feel so selfish for having two jobs that keep us apart so often…"

Shaking his head, the other man said, "You had both of these jobs before we met, honey. I'm not going to make you change your lifestyle just to appease me." He kissed Neal sweetly then. "Besides, absence makes the heart grow fonder. When I actually have you here, I can appreciate every second of it." He sighed a moment later and muttered, "I just wish we could both have holidays off…"

That reminded Neal of what he'd wanted to talk to Peter about when he came home. Naturally, the other man was so good at distracting him. Adding bedroom activities to the mix didn't help his attention span either… "Peter!" he said gleefully, loving the fact that his boyfriend gave him an utterly confused look. "I was able to get time off. I'll be home for Christmas!" Neal was expecting Peter to be overjoyed by that new information, but he was a little disturbed by the fact that Peter didn't seem…happy. In a way, that broke Neal's heart. He'd been so looking forward to finally spending Christmas with Peter. "Doesn't that make you happy?"

"Of course," Peter assured him as he shook himself out of his self-induced trance of despair. "It's just that… I wish I'd known earlier." Neal's brows furrowed. "I thought you'd be working, so I put in for some overtime at the precinct…"

Both men simultaneously muttered, "God damn it."

Neal nodded slowly though. "That just figures," he said with a sigh. "The one Christmas I can get off with you…" Peter looked disappointed himself. They'd talked about getting time off for Christmas, but neither of them thought Neal would be able to.

"I'll try to coordinate some plans with you next time," Peter whispered. "That way, we can be _sure_ that we're off together." Neal gave his boyfriend a small smile and nodded. He felt bad for not consulting with Peter beforehand, but he'd wanted to surprise the other man. That didn't mean he couldn't plan another surprise just because _this_ one didn't work out in their favor though…

•◊•

Neal was sifting through some scanty clothing with one of his best friends who happened to be here for herself, but he was getting some ideas nonetheless. Elizabeth Mitchell was a lovely woman he'd gone to high school with and attended the first four years of college with since he ended up going elsewhere for his master's degree. Her blue eyes were as beautiful as his own and they were both brunettes, so people frequently mistook them for siblings. Even Peter did. He thought Elizabeth was Neal's fraternal twin. "Hon, what do you think of this?" she asked, hoping Neal would give her some honest input on the lingerie she was picking out.

He turned towards her and glanced at the lacy bra and thong she was holding. "On you, I'm absolutely positive that you'll drive Mozzie wild." He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she giggled. He was always very honest with her and he did find her attractive—just not in a sexual way he would ever pursue again. "He's a lucky man, El."

Elizabeth looked at him in a way that Neal recognized as longing. They'd had a few trysts back in their high school and college days that could've easily been seen as a few one night stands, but it became very apparent to Neal that he was forcing himself to enjoy it and he'd admitted to Elizabeth that she'd done absolutely nothing wrong nor had she done anything to 'make him gay.'

They both figured that they would've been together had Neal not come to the realization that he's into men more than he is women. For a while, he claimed he was bisexual, but he decided that he was just…homosexual after dating a few women after his sexual relationship with Elizabeth ended. Dating women hadn't done a whole lot for him in general, but dating men had become a whole new ballgame that he knew he was meant to play in, especially when Peter came into his life. "Peter's a lucky man, too," she said softly. He gave her an appreciative smile because, despite the fact that he's a male entertainer, he did have days when he didn't exactly feel beautiful, attractive, or sexy. Prior to Peter, he felt that way a _lot._ "You haven't mentioned any Christmas plans the two of you have made. Are you two just planning on staying in together?"

Sighing quietly, Neal said, "Well, I did get time off, but he thought I wasn't going to be given the holiday off, so he decided to work overtime through the holiday." She looked upset, as if she were truly disappointed that Neal and Peter wouldn't be able to spend Christmas together. "I still have the day off and I…kind of have something I'd like to do for him since I know he's bummed out about putting in for the overtime." She raised an eyebrow at him in curiosity. "You know I like to keep my work out of my relationships, but I…" Shrugging, he said, "I decided _fuck it._ Peter will be the only one working at the precinct in the evening since he's taking the night guard's shift and most of the other officers are taking Christmas off."

"So you're planning on waltzing into his workplace to have sex with him?"

Neal gave her an incredulous look. "I may be adventurous, but I don't think Peter will let me go _that_ far while at work. He's strictly professional while there, but I do plan on entertaining him." He grinned a little as he added, "Peter's never gotten a performance from me because he never asked, but that'll be my surprise to him this year."

She sidled up to him eagerly and asked, "What will you be doing for him?"

"I thought about taking some champagne in for him, bring him a snack, and then we'd just take it easy for a little while." Elizabeth looked at him in disbelief. That sounded nothing like the sexually active Neal she'd known for years. Then again, she hadn't realized that Neal was preparing to settle down—hopefully with Peter. She didn't realize he was trying to get out of the performer scene so he could focus more on his relationship with Peter and actually put more time into the field he'd gotten his degrees in. " _Then_ I'll put on a little show for him," he added with a sly grin a few moments later, proving to Elizabeth that he hadn't become passive by any means. She knew he could be fun in bed and only imagined what he and Peter got up to. "I'll find a way to get myself into his lap and grind on him a little."

"That's all you're going to do?"

Neal rolled his eyes. "Of course I've already planned an entire routine for this. It'll probably freak him out." Elizabeth gave him a sympathetic look. This wasn't something she understood firsthand, but she could see how Peter might feel uncomfortable during or after Neal's performance. "He'll probably wonder how many guys I've done this kind of thing for before."

"Is this something you've done repeatedly in the past?" Neal shook his head even as he frowned. "Sweetie, he's going to love whatever you do. As I recall, you met during your day job, which means he fell in love with you before he knew about the stripper persona _and_ he hasn't left you since you told him about this job." Neal supposed she was right, but he didn't want Peter to leave him after this. He felt somewhat insecure when it came to giving men a lap dance, but he'd never really put on a show for them because it wasn't that personal to him. He planned on teasing the hell out of his lover, but he wanted to assure his boyfriend that this was something unique and meant solely for _him._ "Don't worry, hon. Peter is a good guy and I think he really loves you—for you."

"I think so, too," Neal admitted. "He's been so wonderful and kind to me since we met… And that's why I don't want to fuck this up, El."

Elizabeth paused and watched her best friend silently. She could see his insecurities resurfacing and she understood why. She'd been around him long enough and knew about things he'd been through. One of his first relationships with a man included continuous putdowns and essentially ruined the confidence Neal had in himself. He valued another man's opinion of him far too much for it to be considered healthy—and it truly hadn't been a healthy habit at that point in time since he'd forced himself to become anorexic to please the man he'd been with.

Peter seemed like an entirely different man in comparison. After all, Neal's weight and body in general hadn't really changed all that much since Peter came into his life. Before Peter, Neal had struggled with his physical appearance, especially when he came to the realization that he'd nearly starved himself to death and severely harmed himself. With professional help and Elizabeth's support, Neal had recovered from his physical suffering and could now maintain a relatively healthy weight for himself, but his emotional suffering had yet to be helped.

Every time she looked at Neal, she could see how crippled he'd become by the man who called him pathetic, weak, _fat…_ That man didn't make Neal feel beautiful or sexy the way Peter seems to. Peter accepts Neal as he is no matter what he looks like and he's never once remarked that Neal either put on too much weight or lost too much. Honestly, he never commented on Neal's weight whatsoever. He never felt the need to because it didn't matter nor did it contribute to the way he feels about Neal. He'd fallen in love with Neal's eyes, smile, and voice. While Neal might like to believe that Peter only loves him for his appearance at times, he knew deep down that Peter didn't want him for superficial reasons.

Peter truly wanted to be with Neal and start a life with him. They spoke about getting married and maybe adopting someday, but neither of them felt like those things needed to be rushed. Both men severely doubted that their relationship would end on a whim, so they took the 'we have plenty of time' approach to their relationship. There was no urgency to propose, to accept a proposal, or work on the adoption process. They were still getting to know each other and falling increasingly in love with each other on a daily basis.

If Peter made Neal feel anything, Elizabeth felt like it was 'adored.' Peter does things for Neal to let him know that he's loved and he always tries to do what he can to keep Neal happy. There'd even been a period of time when Peter's jealousy nearly overwhelmed Neal because Neal had been privately entertaining a group of men. It was only stripping, but Peter didn't like the idea of him being eye candy for several men who couldn't appreciate the man he is on the inside. Elizabeth remembered being on the phone with Neal shortly thereafter and he'd told her that Peter said that to him while crying into the phone. Until that moment, Neal hadn't realized just how much Peter loves him. He'd believed Peter was trying to control him by suggesting that they 'stay in and watch a movie' instead of allowing him to strip for a group of strangers, but Peter's not a man who likes sharing someone he loves.

Neal knew that now and he didn't do private performances of that nature anymore. It was his way of showing Peter that he's acknowledged his feelings on the matter and he was willing to compromise with Peter in order to make sure their relationship wasn't destroyed. If Neal went anywhere for anything private, Peter was there in a cruiser just in case Neal needed help. He most certainly wasn't going to allow any man to take advantage of his boyfriend. Some might say Neal would deserve whatever came to him for taking on the profession of a male stripper and entertainer, but Peter didn't agree. Neal was doing this for money and it'd helped him pay off his student loans, but he hadn't stopped because he knew he was going to need money in order to buy himself a house—the house they were living in together now—as well as a car and whatever was in store for their future, including the possibility of starting a family together.

Coming back to reality, Elizabeth realized she needed to support Neal more than ever and encourage him. "Hon, you won't fuck anything up," she promised him. "Peter loves you for who you are. I don't think that will change if you decide to perform for him once—or occasionally, if he truly enjoys what you're going to do for him." Neal forced a smile and she knew it, so she hugged him tightly. She loved that Neal returned the embrace just as firmly. It was genuine. "Peter loves you, Neal. If anything, maybe this will excite him more and it'll become something routine in the bedroom before you two get going." Neal couldn't help laughing at that. That thought had occurred to him as well. In all honesty, he wouldn't even mind if Peter wanted him to do a little strip tease or lap dance before sex.

Peter is a passionate lover and Neal is a passionate entertainer and lover. He could definitely merge the two together on occasion if it made Peter happy considering how happy Peter makes him just by smiling at him.

•◊•

Peter was sighing quietly to himself in frustration as he worked well into the evening. He'd been texting Neal occasionally throughout the day, but he had a lot of paperwork to catch up on and he'd offered to take another officer's load of paperwork as well so the other man could go home to his family. Peter would've liked to go home early to Neal, but he'd volunteered to stay through the night. He might regret it now, but there was nothing he could do about it regardless.

Reaching out across the desk, Peter grabbed his phone and was a little disappointed to see that Neal hadn't responded to his last text message. That'd been about an hour and a half ago, but it was also ten o'clock in the evening now. Two more hours and Christmas would be over. He hadn't seen Neal since earlier that morning when he'd kissed him before crawling out of bed and subsequently leaving for work.

He was so distracted and a little lonely that he didn't even realize the front door of the precinct had opened, snow breezed in, and the door was shut once someone entered. Staring at Neal's text messages was a lot more exciting. "Hey, stranger," a warm voice said seductively, startling Peter.

Peter's immediate thought was that a hooker had broken in, but he realized very quickly that that wasn't the case. His very beautiful boyfriend—wearing a dark fedora—had come with a bottle of champagne and a small bag Neal carried his Met paperwork in from time to time. Standing up excitedly, Peter rounded his desk and quickly approached the other man, immediately wrapping him up in his arms. "Hi, hon," he whispered against Neal's throat before pressing a kiss against his skin. "God," he said as he pulled back to look at his boyfriend. "It is so good to see you in person." Neal smiled happily at him. "What's all this?" he asked as he gestured at the champagne and bag.

Neal shrugged. "I thought you might like to have something to eat—and perhaps some company as well." Peter didn't hesitate to nod. He gripped Neal's hips firmly and Neal was elated to see just how happy Peter is to see him.

"Absolutely," Peter said, sounding as delighted as he looked. He pecked Neal's lips and grinned at the other man. "I've missed you so much today." He took Neal's hand, then proceeded to lead him towards his desk. As soon as he'd pulled an additional chair up to his desk, he sat down across from Neal and watched Neal pull some sandwiches out of the bag. The other man knew his tastes so well by this point that he'd put together two perfectly made deviled-ham sandwiches. The fact that Neal despised the very smell of them and made them for him wasn't lost on Peter. Neal did special little things like this from time to time that made Peter feel loved and cared for. It meant Neal actually listens to him and pays attention to him. Not that he doubted that, but it was still good to know and occasionally see. "How strong was the urge to vomit while you made these?"

As Neal was setting Peter's sandwiches in front of him and proceeding to grab his own ham sandwiches from the bag, he smiled softly and whispered, "Not very strong because my love for you is stronger." Peter's heart began to thud excitedly in his chest as he stared at his boyfriend. Of course he knows Neal is a sweetheart, but he rarely had the time to romance Neal properly or take him on dates—or vice versa—given how busy Neal's work life is.

Peter chuckled. He watched Neal proceed to pull two glasses out of the bag. They'd been wrapped up nicely so they wouldn't break when Neal carried the bag against his hip. Peter watched in amazement since Neal obviously wanted to make tonight special. The investigator and interrogator in him wanted to ask Neal why he was doing all of this for him, but he's very aware of Neal's own sensitivity. "I love you, hon."

"I love you, too," Neal said sweetly as he gave Peter a genuine smile. His eyes even seemed to light up with his smile. Peter couldn't mistake Neal's love for him whenever he looked at him like this.

For nearly half an hour, the two men ate their sandwiches in a comfortable silence. They occasionally gave each other teasing or shy smiles or pretended they weren't staring at the other man when they were caught doing just that, but that resulted in yet another shy smile. Once they'd finished eating, Neal's anxiety began to eat _him._ He knew he needed to feel confident about what he was going to do for Peter, but he'd never done something like this with someone he feels so intimate and comfortable with. The comfort didn't necessarily ease his nerves though. He was honestly afraid that Peter was going to be slightly revolted by what he planned on doing.

"You okay, hon?" Peter asked concernedly when he noticed the other man staring off into nothingness, looking as if he were lost in his thoughts. Neal startled a little, but he smiled and nodded nonetheless. "Neal, is something bothering you?"

Neal debated on being upfront with Peter since he valued being honest with Peter, but he still wanted to surprises his lover. "I actually had a small surprise in mind for you since we couldn't spend Christmas together at home." Peter raised an eyebrow at him as Neal stood up. Slowly, he began to unzip his winter jacket that he hadn't taken off just yet. Beneath his jacket was a suit that made him look absolutely gorgeous in Peter's eyes. It just made him look classy as hell and Peter found that incredibly attractive, which was only a plus for Neal given that he's already so much more than incredibly attractive.

The jacket slid off of Neal's shoulders and slowly made its way down Neal's arms that were arched in a way that made sure the jacket would fall off behind him. Watching it hit the floor made Peter curious because he knew damn well that his boyfriend did _not_ appreciate having his nice clothing of any kind on a dirty floor. "Oh?" he finally managed to ask as Neal came around to his side of the desk. He loved the seductive smile that was on Neal's face, but he still didn't know what Neal was doing.

Neal reached up to his neck and began to undo the tie he'd added to complement his suit. It was one Peter had given him for their first Christmas together since Peter didn't know what else to get him, but it amazed Peter that Neal still had that silly thing. Needless to say, he was amazed when Neal undid his tie and slid it off of himself and proceeded to turn Peter's chair so that he was facing Neal now _and_ drape the tie behind Peter's neck.

Peter's mouth dried when Neal shoved himself between his legs and slowly began to dance in front of him. For the most part, he did look confident in himself, but Peter could see that he felt insecure and unsure about this. Because he loves Neal, he had no intention of stopping the other man from…doing whatever he was doing.

The little dance Neal was doing for him had Neal rubbing his thighs against Peter's crotch alternatively and he was rolling his body in such a way that Peter had never seen him do before. It looked so damn sexy, but he knew where Neal learned this from.

The moment Peter rested his hands on Neal's hips, Neal yanked Peter closer with the tie, effectively startling him as their faces became incredibly close just then. "Hands off," he said seductively, "or the show ends." Peter listened immediately and rested his hands on his own thighs. "Good boy," Neal remarked as he grinned at Peter. He released the tie and let it fall over Peter's shoulders, resting on his pectorals.

All Peter could do was submit himself to Neal's merciless touches. Neal's fingers caressed his skin, his lips, and his hair before they ran along his cheekbones, jaw line, and broad shoulders. It was so hard to refrain from grabbing Neal because he'd never been teased like this before. "Christ," Peter gasped when Neal suddenly spun himself around and began to grind his ass against Peter's crotch. His hands hovered beside Neal's hips, but he struggled to keep himself from ruining the show Neal was putting on for him. This was borderline torture because Neal knows that Peter likes being hands-on with him.

Neal's heart was pounding as he moved and teased Peter. "Like what you see?" Neal asked curiously as he stopped tormenting his lover and actually looked at his face, obviously wanting a genuine answer from the other man. Peter nodded and looked as if he weren't capable of forming a coherent thought. He didn't need to though, as long as he followed the only rule Neal had given him thus far—hands off.

Peter would normally have stared at Neal and wondered how the hell his body could move the way it does while in a suit, but he didn't exactly give a damn as he watched Neal. His lips parted as Neal began to slide his suit jacket off in the exact same manner that he'd slid his winter jacket off. Peter watched it glide down Neal's slender arms and loved when it hit the floor as well because Neal's muscles were now revealed to him. He was now wearing his fedora, a white and sleeveless undershirt, and his dress pants. He hadn't even gotten very far in his process, but Peter was already hard. He swore he became harder when Neal closed his legs and proceeded to perch himself just above Peter's lap, hovering over him as he continued with his dance. His chest occasionally brushed up against Peter's own and he teased Peter by giving him kisses he knew Peter would chase. They were brief and fiery—the kind Peter loves second best to lengthy, passionate kisses. His arms slid over Peter's shoulders, resting above the tie that was still draped over them.

Neal lowered himself just enough to grind his pelvis against Peter's belly. It was very obvious that Peter's attention and interest was turning Neal on. That was something Peter could definitely encourage because he wanted Neal to feel comfortable in his own skin, especially when they're together. "You have no idea just how badly I want to touch you," Peter whispered, sounding as if he were pleading with Neal to allow him just _one_ brief touch.

Grinning, Neal leaned forward and gently nibbled on Peter's right ear lobe, rolling it between his lips and teeth alternatively while rubbing Peter's shoulders. After a few moments of that, Neal knew Peter would have turned into putty in front of him if he were capable of doing so—especially when he grazed his teeth against the skin just behind Peter's ear. These things drove Peter wild and Neal was doing this because he knew that. He'd paid attention to the way he made Peter react to certain touches, caresses, kisses, and other playful actions such as this. He paused a few moments later, tormenting Peter once again. He was very quick to slowly glide his tongue along Peter's skin behind Peter's ear and then he gently blew on the skin he'd licked, eliciting a shiver that ran through the entirety of Peter's body. "If you're good, I promise I'll let you touch me when I'm done," he murmured in Peter's ear then.

Peter was dangerously close to grabbing Neal's ass as well as grasping at Neal's back desperately. He wanted to hold Neal close and ravage the hell out of him for being such a beautiful tease.

Neal pulled away and grinned at Peter when he saw how flustered the other man was and he could almost _feel_ the heat radiating from Peter's hands that were hovering close to his body. That would only intensify as he continued to undress himself…

While grinding against Peter's thighs, Neal began to unbuckle his belt and slide it through the loops on his dress pants until it was finally freed. He thought about using it like he'd used the tie, but he decided that the tie would probably feel sexier to Peter than having a belt wrapped around him. Instead, he tossed his belt onto the floor and continued grinning.

Unexpectedly, Neal withdrew himself from Peter's body. It absolutely despaired Peter because he liked the way Neal rolled against him, rubbed him, and so on. He'd never seen this side of Neal before, but he couldn't deny that he liked seeing him this way. Neal slowly began to unzip his dress pants and Peter was absolutely astonished when Neal slowly dropped them down from his waist to his ankles. He'd wiggled his hips a little in the process, but he was too far away from Peter now for Peter to feel the urgency to grab Neal's hips and hold him close.

Upon glancing down Neal's body, Peter loved the bulge he could see in Neal's black boxers. "Oh, Neal…" Peter moaned just from the very sight of seeing Neal's arousal. The bulge had momentarily distracted Peter from realizing Neal had removed his fedora and placed it on Peter's own head after he'd stepped out of his dress pants and kicked them aside, but it'd also distracted him from noticing—briefly—that Neal was wearing combat boots and went halfway up his lower leg. They hadn't quite reached his knees, but Neal was also aware that Peter found military gear attractive. Neal served for a short period of time as soon as he'd turned eighteen, but he'd been ousted from his unit for reasons unbeknownst to him. Neal claimed they were homophobic and Peter could believe that, but Neal told him he'd been kicked out for failing boot camp. After seeing Neal at a gym, Peter knew Neal hadn't failed boot camp. He had stamina, agility, composure, and determination. It just bothered him that Neal's homosexuality may have been factored into his forced resignation. That was years ago though and Neal had moved past it, but he'd kept his combat boots for some of his entertainment performance. Obviously, Peter was glad he'd held onto them.

Neal closed the distance between them again and lifted his right leg slightly, intentionally brushing his combat boot against Peter's lower leg. Peter stared up at him in awe, but he also knew he deserved this for being incredibly open with Neal. He certainly didn't regret this, but damn did Neal have a way of seducing him.

Peter almost grabbed Neal's knee and yanked his leg closer, but the look Neal gave him stopped him. Neal knew he was testing Peter's limits, but that was what he found fun. "How much more of this do you think you can take?" Neal taunted him with that little grin that always made Peter think of him as a sly bastard. Neal knew he was in control of this and Peter was more than happy to give him that control.

"How much more is left?"

Neal smirked. "Just this shirt and these boxers."

Peter glanced at the boots Neal was wearing. "Are those staying on for the duration?"

Chuckling, Neal said, "As long as you'd like them to be on."

Within a matter of minutes, Neal was tormenting Peter from behind. The other man was still seated in his chair, but Neal was kissing his neck and hair from behind while touching his shoulders and arms alternatively. Peter couldn't see him, but he could definitely feel him.

Now that Neal wasn't in front of him, Peter kind of worried that someone would stumble into the precinct and find them like this. They weren't supposed to let civilians in unless there was a legitimate reason for them to be there and he highly doubted a strip tease would count as one of those reasons…

But Neal's lips were also capable of making those worries fade away into nothingness.

When Neal finally emerged from behind him again, Peter noticed that his undershirt was already in the process of being removed. That made him incredibly happy because he loved Neal's nakedness—scarred and all. Knowing that Neal was willing to expose himself like this made Peter love him more. Neal felt comfortable with him and this was one way he expressed that comfort to Peter.

Peter sat up a little straighter as Neal's body rolled _and_ he simultaneously went about removing his undershirt, which was tossed aside the second it slid over his head. Neal danced back over to him, spinning slowly on occasion to shake his ass for Peter because Peter, despite never admitting it outright, is an ass man. Neal's ass was absolutely beautiful. There was no denying that on Peter's part at any point.

Neal stopped abruptly in front of him with his back to Peter and Peter could only stare at his back that was undoubtedly sculpted by the gods just like the rest of him most definitely was. There were some scars on his shoulder blades, but Peter would kiss them forever if Neal gave him the opportunity. He couldn't kiss the scars away, but he could show Neal that he loves him all the same with or without them.

The other man was taken aback when Neal suddenly bent over and rested his hands on his own knees. He began to dance with his ass and Peter was absolutely mesmerized. Seeing Neal bent over also did things to him in addition to the way he was moving himself. They'd gotten a bit rough, in Peter's opinion, on occasion and Neal seemed to like being bent over the counter or table in their kitchen—as well as the end of their bed. He could imagine himself finishing all of this right now and taking Neal passionately.

After all, Neal had set his inner passion ablaze when this seductive little dance began.

Neal then reached back and began to slide his boxers off slowly. Peter believed Neal was going to be completely naked for him then, but that wasn't the case. It was _almost_ better than that. He was wearing a Santa Claus themed _thong._ It had a thin belt printed into the fabric. It was red with white, fluffy trim. It was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen in his life—on Neal. His ass was caressed by the fabric so beautiful and Peter desperately wanted to reach out and grab his ass cheeks.

What Peter _knew_ was absolutely done on purpose was Neal tugging on his thong and forcing it to seem a little tighter in the back where Peter could clearly see it delving into his crack.

Unfortunately, Peter couldn't help himself then. He touched Neal's skin and Neal stopped. He moved away from Peter immediately and stood with his back to him and his arms crossed over his chest as if he were disappointed. "Please don't stop," Peter pleaded quietly. "I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself…" Neal didn't react to his pleading and he genuinely thought Neal was upset with him. "Honey, please. You know I love touching your skin. You're so warm that you can melt the ice outside."

Neal remained silent for a few moments longer before sighing and shaking his head. He turned dramatically and let out a dramatic sigh as if he were thinking about ending this performance altogether, but Peter knew that wasn't the case. This was just part of Neal's act. "You're being naughty tonight, my dear Peter."

Peter didn't hesitate to nod. "I've been very naughty," he whispered. "I know I don't deserve a gift as beautiful as yourself…"

Something that hadn't been scripted into Neal's performance was the genuine deep blush that overcame him and flooded his cheeks. "Well, when you put it that way…" He looked thoughtful. It only lasted a brief period of time. "I suppose I can give you a pass for tonight. It is Christmas, after all…"

Neal dropping to his hands and knees a short distance away from where Peter was seated had been completely unexpected, but very welcome nonetheless. He began to crawl towards Peter while looking up at him from underneath the brim of his fedora. It was incredibly sexy and Peter regretted not paying more attention to the fedora. He imagined it'd been knocked off briefly when Neal removed his undershirt, but he hadn't paid enough attention at that point to know or not. He just knew it was still on Neal's head now and damn did it make him want to do things to Neal…

As soon as Neal reached Peter, he rubbed his cheek against Peter's knee—slowly while staring up into Peter's eyes. Peter couldn't take his eyes off of the beautiful man before him, especially when Neal's face slid along his thigh just as slowly and eventually made its way to his crotch where he began to mouth Peter's clothed erection. "Neal…" Peter moaned as he threw his head back. His fingers were twitching with the anticipation of gripping Neal's hair at some point. Neal was going to pay in one of the most passionate ways Peter could consider tormenting him in given he'd gone out of his way to do that and so much more to Peter's own body.

The 'torture' only continued and made Peter's body so hot that it was hard to withstand the urge to grab Neal and make love to him. Neal seemed to sense that as he finally stopped and smiled up at Peter. "I assume you're about ready to burst at the seams."

Peter looked at him incredulously. "Ready to burst at the seams was when you were in your undershirt and dress pants," he remarked, to which Neal, the little shit, grinned excitedly at. He could appreciate Peter's blunt honesty. "Give me permission to touch you, please. I desperately need to."

Neal didn't seem too opposed to that, so he whispered, "Touch me, my love."

That was all Peter needed to hear to send him into action. Before Neal could even register what was happening, Peter was clearing off half of his desk without a care in the world, tossing his paperwork and so much more directly onto the floor without seeming bothered by that at all. And then Neal was lifted to his feet and found himself on his back on top of the desk, staring up at the ceiling eagerly. He bent his knees and rested his boots on the desk as well as Peter began to unzip himself and lower his pants.

He stroked Neal's thong in appreciation, planted a quick kiss on the fabric above his bulge, and took them off without further hesitation so he could give Neal a Christmas _gift_ of his own that would reach _deeply_ inside of Neal…

•◊•

Neal and Peter were in their bed an hour and forty-five minutes later, curled up against each other and kissing each other leisurely. "I'm so glad you had off for Christmas," Peter murmured against Neal's lips as he stroked Neal's side slowly. He was glad Neal had the time off for more than just the beautiful strip tease and lap dance he'd been given—and the subsequent sex that resulted from the previous two events. He was glad to have Neal home with him for once. Sharing Christmas with him felt incredibly special even if they hadn't bought each other gifts.

Honestly, gifts didn't need to be something tangible or visible.

Both men had given themselves to each other for Christmas. Neal had just initiated it with his little dance routine that Peter thoroughly enjoyed. Their time together had been an additional gift to each other. Neal didn't have to visit Peter at work, but he'd wanted to because he loves Peter and wanted to make him happy. He knew how depressed Peter was when he realized he'd put in for overtime when Neal had taken time off, so he hoped he'd made up for their little miscommunication.

"Me, too," Neal whispered as he kissed Peter's jaw. "I'll try to get holidays off more often."

Chuckling, Peter said, "If I get entertained the way you entertained me earlier, I'll be more than happy to file a police report that gets your club shut down on holidays just so you can be home with me." Neal giggled and twisted into Peter, pressing himself closer to the other man. He draped his arm over Peter's torso and threw his leg over both of Peter's while sighing contentedly.

"I love you—so much, Peter."

"I love you, too, honey," Peter said softly. He kissed Neal's forehead and stroked Neal's back gently with his fingertips. "Thank you for coming to see me at work. It meant a lot to me."

Neal kissed Peter's chest then and whispered, "You're my home, Peter." He glanced up at Peter's face and met his gaze while smiling at him lovingly and appreciatively. "I told you I'll be home for Christmas."


End file.
